Car-coupling



(HoModeL) T. J. HOOVER.

Gar Coupling.

No. 233,514. Patented Oct. 19, 1880.

I H H I I a H #1 l V rullfesiw Iuvenior: Thomas JHoover,

lie-li y.

NJHERS) PHbTO-LITHORAPHER, WASHINGTON D O.

UNHED TATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS J. HOOVER, OF WOODBURY, TENNESSEE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,514, dated October 19, 1880.

Application filed September 6, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, in the county of Cannon and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a car-coupling which shall admit of the employmentof solid draw-heads, which sh all be easily coupled and uncoupled without the necessity of the brakeman placing himself between the two meeting cars, which, when coupled, shall prevent passengers who are passing from car to car from getting in between the draw-heads, and which shall yield sufficiently to lateral strain induced by the passing of the cars round a curve.

To such end it consists, first, in the solid draw-head of a car-couplin g provided upon one of its sides with a swinging coupling-hook, a spring arranged to act against the rear end of the hook in order to hold its forward end down, and a lever for raising the hook, and upon its opposite side with a guard adapted to engage with a similar hook of an opposing draw bar, substantially as hereinafter described; second, in the combination, with the draw-head of a car-couplin g, of a swinginghook arranged upon one of its sides and a guardplate secured upon the body of the hook in position to extend over the end of the draw-bar, whereby, when the cars are coupled, the guard- I plates will cover over the space between the opposing draw-heads, substantially as hereinafter described; third, in the combination, with the draw-head, of a swinging coupling-hook arranged upon one side of the said draw-head, a self-adjustin g draw-head adjustably connected with the coupling-hook in position to extend over the end of the draw-bar, and a spring applied to force the plate inwardly, substantially as hereinafter described; fourth, in the combination, with the draw-head, of a swinging coup- .ling-hook arranged upon one side of the drawhead, and having a limited lateral play upon its pivot, and a spring adapted to maintain the hook normally against the side of the draw-head, substantially as hereinafter described; fifth, in the combination, with the draw-head, of the swinging coupling-hook arranged upon one side thereof, a guard arranged upon the opposite side of the draw-head, a yielding or self-adjustable guard-plate connected with the coupling-hook, and a spring applied against the rear or inner end of the swinging coupling-hook, substantially as hereinafter described; sixth, in the combination, with the draw-head, of a guard or catch upon one side, a swinging coupling-hook upon the remaining side thereof, and a swinging lever formed independent of the hook and pivoted to the vertical side of the draw-head, the said lever beingformed with an arm or crank-shaped portion extending under the shank of the hook and arranged to raise the forward end of the coupling-hook, substantially as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective 'view, representing the draw-heads of two cars coupled together by my improved coupling, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

The letter A refers to two opposing drawheads, which are preferably made solid, as represented. The forward end of each one of these draw-heads is provided with a rubber or other elastic cushion, B, secured thereto in any suitable manner, so that in coupling the cars together such cushions will abut against each other, and thereby take up the shock which usually attends the meeting of two opposing draw-heads.

Each draw-head is provided with a swinging coupling latch or hook, 0, these hooks being arranged upon those sides of the drawheads which, when the cars are coupled together, will bring the hooks upon opposite sides of the draw-heads, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Upon the sides of the draw-heads which are opposite to the sides carrying the swinging hooks are arranged guards D, with which said hooks engage in order to couple the cars. The forward ends of the hooks are formed with inclines 0, which, as the draw-heads are brought together, strike against and ride over the guards, therebyraisin g the hooks until said inclines have passed over the forward portions of the guards, and the hooks are left free to descend and engage with the same.

I11 order to maintain the hooks in engagement with the guards as long as it is desired to keep the cars coupled, and also to insure the hooks being held in position for coupling, I provide springs E, which are arranged to bear against the rear ends of the hooks. The particular form of these springs is not essential so long as they have the proper resiliency to subserve the functions for which they are employer], and they may be secured to the draw-heads in any convenient manner, or they might he seemed to the hooks and adapted to bear against projections upon the drawheads, although 1 prefer the former mode of arranging them. The hooks are turned upon their pivots so as to disengage them from the guards by means of levers (.l, one of which is provided for each hook. These levers extend upward to within convenient reach of the brakeman, and each is provided with an arm or crank, g, upon which the body of the coupling-hook rests, so that when the lever is pressed back the said arm or crank will raise the forward end of the book. To prevent the front end of the hook from descending too far after uncoupling the cars, a stop is providedas,for instance, a stud, g-upon which the arm 9 of the lever will rest after the hook has engaged with the guard.

As a. means for covering over any space intervening between the draw-heads while the cars are coupled together, and thereby prevent passengers pa sin g from one ear to another from slipping down and being caught between the ends of the draw-heads, I provide each coupling-hook with a self-adjusting or yielding guard-plate, H, extending over the end of the draw-head, these plates being so arranged that after the cars are coupled they will entirely cover over the space between the draw-heads. These plates are held upon the coupling-hooks by means of pins or bolts h, passing through slots h in the plates, and extend over the upper sides of the draw-heads. These guardplates, by reason of such connections with the couplinghooks, are capable of a sliding movement thereon, and to maintain their inner edges in close proximity to each other while the cars are coupled I provide springs l, which are secured to the coupling-hooks in position to act against the outer edges of the plates, and thus forcetheni inwardly or toward each other.

The inner corners of the guard-plates should be rounded oh, so that in the event of their striking together during the operation of coupling, the plates will mutually yield, and thereby present no objectionable obstacle.

The coupling-hooks have a limited lateral play upon their pivots, so as to adapt the coupling to the short curves in the road, and in order to maintain the hooks normally against the sides of the draw-heads I provide springs I alongside of the hooks, which constantly bear against the latter. In turning curves in the road these springs yield to the pressure of the hooks against them; but so soon as the curve is passed they will restore the hooks to their normal positions against the draw-heads.

It may be observed that the guard-plates will not be necessary in couplings for freightcars, but that for passenger-cars they are particularly desirable.

When two cars are brought together the coupling-hooks of the draw-heads will engage the opposing guards in the manner hereinbefore described, and the coupling be accomplished in an effective manner.

What I claim is- 1. In a car-coupling, the solid drawhead provided upon one of its sides with a swinging coupling-hook, a spring arranged to act upwardly against the rear end of the hook in order to hold down its forward end, and a lever for raising the hook, and upon its opposite side with a guard adapted to engage with a similar hook of an opposing draw-bar, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the draw-head of a car-coupling, of a swinging hook arranged upon one of its sides. and a guard-plate secured upon the body of the hook in position to extend over the end of the draw-bar, whereby when the cars are coupled the guard will cover over the space between the opposing drawheads, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the draw-head, of a swinging coupling-hook arranged upon one side of said draw-head, aself-adjusting guardplate, H, adjustably connected with the coupling-hook in position to extend over the end of the draw-bar, and a. spring applied to force the plate inwardly, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the draw-head, of a swinging coupling-hook arranged upon one side of the draw-head, and having a limited lateral play upon its pivot, and a spring, I, adapted to maintain the hook normally against the side of the draw-head, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the draw-head, of the swinging coupling-hook 0, arranged upon one side thereof, a guard, D, arranged upon the opposite side of the draw-head, a. yielding or self-adjustable guard-plate, H, connected with the coupling-hook, and a spring applied against the rear or inner end of the said swinging coupling-hook, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the draw-head, a guard or catch upon one side, a swinging coupling-hook upon the remainiugside thereof, and a swinging lever formed independent of the hook and pivoted to the vertical side of the draw-head, the said lever being formed with an arm or crank-shaped portion, 9, ex tending along the under side of the shank of the hook and arranged to raise the forward end of the coupling-hook, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS J. HOOVER. Witnesses:

JAMES A. J oNEs, W. W. GRAY. 

